AUGUSTA – In a season when offense has come relatively easy for the Bangor High School baseball team, it was pitching and defense that earned the Rams a return trip to the Class A state championship game.

Righthanders Ian Edwards and Jordan Clarke combined to pitch a one-hitter and Bangor played errorless defense Thursday as the top-ranked Rams outlasted No. 6 Brewer 4-0 in the Eastern Maine Class A final at Morton Field.

The win was the 30th straight for Bangor overall and advances the Rams (19-0 this spring) to Saturday’s 2 p.m. state final in Augusta against Deering of Portland. Deering (17-1), the top-ranked team in Western A, advanced by defeating Portland 2-1 in eight innings in its regional final.

“Bangor’s been in this situation so many times in a number of different sports, and you’ve got to play a great game against them,” said Brewer coach David Morris. “Pressure comes both ways, whether you’re up or whether your down, and they handled it pretty well today.”

But offense didn’t come easy for the defending state champions, who managed just four hits as the teams played to a scoreless tie through 41/2 innings.

But Bangor scratched across one run in the fifth and added three runs in the sixth to salvage the hard-fought victory.

“It was intense,” said senior left fielder Alex Gallant, whose RBI single highlighted the Bangor sixth. “Both teams knew what was on the line, and we’re obviously big-time rivals so it was an intense game, a fun game.”

Edwards struck out five and did not allow a hit during the first three innings before Bangor coach Jeff Fahey opted to change pitchers in order to keep his ace eligible for Saturday’s game.

“Coming into the game I thought we might score earlier and maybe take some pressure off Jordan, but when I looked up and it was 0-0 and we only had one hit after the third inning I still wanted to pitch,” said Edwards. “But the way Jordan’s been throwing lately, he’s been phenomenal, he really has.”

The move worked nearly perfectly for the Rams, as Clarke (8-0) allowed just one hit over the final four innings while striking out three and walking two.

“Other than having Jordan pitch four innings, it went exactly how we wanted it to go,” said Fahey. “We thought they wouldn’t score many off Ian, and if Jordan throws strikes he’s very similar to Ian. He keeps the ball down, and he had pretty good pop on his fastball today.”

Brewer (13-7) had just one real threat, that in the top of the fifth. Jim Nicknair hit a leadoff single and went to second on a groundout before Caleb Smith drew a walk. The runners then advanced to second and third as Bangor catcher Gordon Webb made a nice play to throw Shun Sasaki out at first base on a chopper in front of the plate.

Clarke escaped the two-out jam by getting Brewer’s Rick Adams to line out to right field, then retired the Witches in order in the sixth and seventh innings.

“I wanted a lead before I went in so I’d feel more comfortable but it didn’t work out,” said Clarke. “I was a little nervous at first, but once I struck out the first guy I faced I was OK.”

Bangor finally broke through against Brewer starter Greg Higgins in the bottom of the inning. Tom Crews walked, stole second and went to third on a sacrifice by Tyler McDade. Clarke then hit a chopper between shortstop and third base, and when third baseman Reid McLaughlin threw to first, Crews raced home to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.

“Jordan did a good job of putting the ball in play and I read it,” said Crews. “Once I saw the third baseman almost have to go up the middle to get the ball, I got a little lead and once he released the ball I was going to score from there.”

Bangor took control of the game an inning later. Kyle Vanidestine grounded a leadoff single to left, and after Shane Walton was called out at the plate for interference while Vanidestine was trying to steal second, Vanidestine ultimately advanced on a wild pitch.

Edwards then was intentionally walked before Gallant directed an 0-2 pitch into center field for an single, and Vanidestine just beat the relay throw home while Edwards and Gallant moved to second and third.

“I got down in the count and just flared it out there trying to protect the plate,” said Gallant. “It fell in for a single. I’ll take it.”

Jim Nicknair relieved Higgins and issued an intentional walk to Webb. He then retired Crews on a first-pitch popout, but Edwards scored when McDade drew a bases-loaded walk and Gallant added Bangor’s final run by scoring on a passed ball.

Higgins (3-3) allowed just four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out two and walking three.

“He came at them with the fastball, he challenged them, and he threw some off-speed stuff and got outs,” said Morris. “He has nothing to be ashamed of, that’s a great performance on his part. We wish we could have had a little more offensive production behind him, but he pitched well enough to win.”

RAMS 4, WITCHES 0

Brewer (13-7) Bangor (19-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Adams, 2b 3 0 0 0 Vanidestine, rf 3 1 0

White, lf 3 0 0 0 Walton, 3b 2 0 0

Brown, 1b 2 0 0 0 Edwards, p-ss 2 1 0

Swett, dh 2 0 0 0 Gallant, lf 2 1 1

Bush, c 0 0 0 0 Webb, c 2 0 0 0

Higgins, p 3 0 0 0 Burns, pr 0 0 0

Bissell, rf 0 0 0 0 Crews, cf 2 1 0

Nicknair, rf-p 3 0 1 0 McDade, 1b 1 1

McLaughlin, 3b 3 0 0 0 Cox, ss 1 0 0

Smith, ss 1 0 0 0 Clarke, p 2 0 1

Sasaki, cf 2 0 0 0 R. Larochelle, dh 2 0

Kelley, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 22 0 1 0 Totals 19 4 4 3

Brewer 000 000 0 – 0

Bangor 000 013 x – 4

E-Smith; LOB-Brewer 4; Bangor 4; DP-Brewer; S-McDade; SB-Vanidestine, Edwards, Crews

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Higgins (L, 3-3) 5 1/3 4 4 3 3 2

Nicknair 2/3 0 0 0 2 1

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Edwards 3 0 0 0 1 5

Clarke (W, 8-0) 4 1 0 0 2 3

WP-Higgins; PB-Bush; T-1:38; ATT-500 (est.)